Ignition system.



c. UPTON. IGNITION SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, I9I2- Patented Oct 24, 1916.

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rnrnnr amaze GGLCOR-D UPTON, 01- BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR T SPLITDORF ElJECTRICAL COMPANY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

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Specification of Letters Patent. Patented fiat. 24. 191 6.

Application filed May 14, 1912. Serial No. 697,106.

proved means for producing a spark to start the engine'when the ignition system is installed with magneto and battery circuits,

commonly called a dual system.

The object of my invention is to provide a battery and controlling devices associated with or bridged around the make and break devices of the generating or primary circuit of the armature of the magneto, adapted to cause, when operated, a break in the normal magneto circuit and the flow of battery cur rent in such circuit to produce, at one of the spark plugs, a spark for starting the engine, and whereupon the battery circuit will be instantly cut out and the magneto circuit restored for use in the usual manner.

Another object of my invention is to provide a means of applying an external source of direct current to the primary winding of the magneto-armature, whereby the impulses or sparks delivered by the secondary thereof are greatly augmented and which means eliminates the use of a commutator in the circuit of the primary winding, thereby simplifying the entire apparatus, and making same much less expensive and less likely to get out of order.

Hy invention comprises novel details of improvement and combinations of parts that will be more fully hereinafter set forth and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein,

Figure 1 is a partly broken side elevation of a magneto equipped with my improvements, the latter being shown partly in sec- .tion, and Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2, 2,

in Fig. 1.

The numeral 1 indicates, generally, a magneto such as customarily employed in ignition systems or" internal combustion engines, and may be of the high tension type, in the so-called single system. The rod or corn ductor 2 connected with the armature 3 and bearing against the spring contact a that is in circuit with the binding post 5, may be of any well known construction. Rod 2 is in sulated from the member 6 having the contact 7 to coact with the movable contact 8 on rocker 9, suitably supported at 10, and said rocker being adapted to be operated by earns 11, in the usual manner, for making and breaking the primary armature circuit. The contacts 7, 8, are included in the primary circuit of the magneto armature in any well known manner.

Upon the insulation 12, in which rod 2 rotates, is a metal sleeve 13 in electrical con} tact or circuit with member 6, and shown held in position by a flange 12 of insulation 12. A brush or pin 14 is in contact with sleeve 13, and is shown slidably guided in a binding post 15 supported by and insulated from the housing or frame 16 that is secured to the magneto in any well known manner. A spring 17 in the bore of said binding post bearing against pin 14 maintains the latter in contact with'sleeve 13. From posts and extend wires 18 and 19 respectively, which lead respectively to binding posts 18*, 19 upon and insulated from a suitable box 20 containing my improved circuit controlling devices. The post 18 is connected by ire 21 with a contact 22, normally in circuit with a contact 23 upon a spring or springer-ting arm 24 secured to and insulated from box 20. Spring or arm 2-: is connected b wire 25 with binding post 19. As con tacts 22 and 23 are in normal engagement, the primary circuit of the magneto armature will be from a terminal of the primary winding of the armature through rod '2, spring 4, post 5, wire 18, post 18 wire 21, contacts 22, 23, spring 24, Wire 25, post 19, wire 19,

post 15, pin 14, sleeve 13, member 6, contacts 7, 8, rocker 9, and thence to ground to the corresponding terminal .of the armature winding, through which circuit the operation of the system is maintained in the usual manner, the break in the primary circuit at contacts 7, 8, occurring during the rotation of the armature as usual in such magnetos to cause the production of sparks at the spark plugs of the engine as required.

1 provide a vibrator and battery circuit bridged around the contacts 22 and 28, with means for breaking the normal armature primary circuit and placing the vibrator and battery circuit in circuit with said armature primary, to thereuponcause production of a spark at one of the spark plugs, said means immediately breaking such vibrator and battery circuit and reestablishing the normal armature'primary circuit. The arrangements I have shown for such purpose are as follows: a vibrator or trembler magnet or coil 26 has one terminal connected, as by wire 27, with a vibrator spring 28 that controls the movable contact 29, the other terminal of which .coil or magnet is connected with one side or terminal of battery 30, and for this purpose is shown connected by wire 31 with binding post 32, carried by and insulated from'box20, which post is shown connected by wire 33 with said side of the battery. The other side or terminal of the battery is connected with binding post 18*, for which purpose I have shown wire 34 leading from said terminal of the battery to a post 35 secured upon and insulated from box 20, said post ,being shown connected by wire 36 to binding post 18 The spring 29- of contact 29 of the vibrator is shown connected by wire 37 with a contact 38 secured to 'and'insulated from boX 20, and in position to be engaged by spring or arm-24 when contact 23 moves away from contact 22, at which time the vibrator and battery will be includedin the primary circuit of the magneto armature, from post 5 through wire 18, post 18, wire 36, post 35, wire 34, battery 30, wire 33, post 32, wire 31, coil 26, wire 27, spring 28, contacts 29 and 29 arm 29*, wire 37, contact 38, spring 24, wire 25, post 19, and wire 19 to contact 15, and thence throughtlie primary winding of the armature as before described.

I have shown a condenser 39 bridged around the contacts 29, 29 which serves in the usual manner to kill sparks at such contacts. To cause a momentary break of the armature circuit at 22, 23, a corresponding closing of the vibrator and battery circuit at 24, 38, and quick breaking of the latter and reclosing of the armature circuit at 22, 23, I provide the following arrangement: Spring or arm 24 has a slot 24 adapted to receive the lower end or projection 40 of a sliding and swinging finger 40, the end or projection 40 of such finger being shown guided in slot 24. Finger 40 also has a shoulder or edge 40 normally resting upon arm 24 and adapted tobe pushed oflf said arm into slot 24. A spring 41 connected with finger 40 normally draws said finger to the left in Fig. 1 and against a pin or stop 42 on box 20. Finger 40 also has an inclined or cam surface 40 adapted to engage stop 42 when the finger is depressed. The finger is shown provided 'with a slot-"4Q push button 43'suitably 'guided upon box 20 sui b insu l ation interposed be.

receiving the guidingscrewg42' on box-120;?- A-- tween the push button and finger 40. The

parts 22, 24, 38, 40, 41, 42 and 42 may be .carried by an insulating plate 45 secured within a metal box 20, or the latter may be wholly or partly of insulating material.

.The arrangement of the parts is such that in the normal position shown in Fig. 1, the shoulder 40 of finger40 will rest upon arm or spring 24 and contacts 22 and 23 will be engaged. When the push button is pressed downwardly finger 40 is depressed and causes arm 24 to be moved downwardly tobreak the armature primary circuit at 22, 23 and immediately close the circuit of'the battery and vibrator coil at 24, 38, where- I upon the battery and vibrator will be included in the circuit of the armature primary, and thereupon stop or pin 42, by engaging the inclined portion 40.of finger 40,

will cause the latter to move to the right and release shoulder 40 from arm 24, whereupon the latter will quickly rise breaking the circuit at 24, 38 and reestabli'shing the circuit at 22, 23. During the moment that contact is closed at 24, 38, the vibrator making and breaking the battery circuit at 29, 29, will cause battery current to flow through the primary of the armature, there by causing discharge from the armature secondary winding, and the spark plug a which receives such discharge will cause ignition or explosion in the. corresponding cylinder of the engine, thereby starting the engine on compression. The closing of the circuit at 24, 38 being momentary, and the reclosing of the circuit at 22, 23 being quick, the piston that rises to compression position,

after the aforesaid ignition or explosion,

will not receive a discharge induced from the battery and vibrator circuit, but will receive the discharge induced fromthe normal armature primary circuit, as usual. The

advantage of this arrangement is that while stood that though the push button 43 may be held down, the fact that finger 4O automatically releases arm or spring'24, making a. quick break at contacts 24, 38, and quick re-closing at contacts 22, 23, effects the advantages above named, and the operator is not required to quickly release the push button. By means of my improvements, therefore, I am enabled to-obtain,

without particular attention on the part of the operator, (but by merely operating the push button once), a single discharge for the proper spark plug, and the immediate restoration of the normal primary armature circuit. Of course, push button 23 may be operated Whenever desired, but is mainly intended merely for use in starting the engine in the manner setforth.

Having now described my invention what I claim is 1. The combination ofa magneto, a circuit for its armature winding having normally closed contacts, an arm carrying one of said contacts, a battery and vibrator having a normally open circuit provided with a contact to coact with said arm, whereby when the first named contacts are broken the battery and vibrator circuit will be closed through the armature primary circuit, a finger coacting with said arm to cause the latter to break the last named circuit and connect the battery and vibrator circuit therewith, and means to cause said finger to quickly release said arm to break the battery and vibrator circuit and restore the armature primary circuit, and means to operate said finger.

2. The combination of a magneto, a circuit for its armature winding having normally closed contacts, an arm carrying one of saiC contacts, a battery and vibrator having a normally open circuit provided with a Contact to coact with said arm, whereby when the first named contacts are broken the battery and vibrator circuit will be closed through the armature primary circuit, a finger having a shoulder to coact With said arm, and means to move said finger and release the shoulder from the arm to cause the latter to break the battery circuit and restore the normal armat re primary circuit, and means to operate d fingerf 3. The combination of a magneto, a circuit for its armature Winding having norunally closed contacts, an arm carrying one of said contacts, a battery and vibrator having a normally open circuit provided with a contact to coact with said arm, whereby when the first named contacts are broken the battery and vibrator circuit will be closed through the armature primary circuit, a finger having a shoulder to coact with said arm and having an inclined surface, a stop to coact with said surface to move the finger and release the shoulder from said arm to break the battery circuit and restore the normal armature primary circuit, and means to reciprocate said finger.

4. The combination of a magneto, a circuit for its armature winding having normally closed contacts, an arm carrying one of said contacts, a battery and Vibrator having a normally open circuit provided with a contact to coact with said arm, whereby when the first named contacts are broken the battery and vibrator circuit will be closed through the armature primary circuit, said arm having a slot, said finger having a projection entering said slot, said finger having a shoulder to coact with said arm and also having an inclined surface, a stop to coact with said surface to move the finger'sidewise to release its shoulder from said arm, means. to slidably and pivotally guide said finger, a spring normally holding said finger against said stop. and means to push the finger to ward said arm.

Signed at New York city, 1n the county of New York, and State of New York, this 9th day of May, A. 7. 1912.

COLCORD UPTON.

\Vitnesses:

EDITH BEBEE, MAR E F. WAINWRIGHT.

copiel of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patente. Washington, D. G. 

